The Traitor's Daughter (Complete)

Part 46-Acceptance

 Nan took a sip of the warm fragrant brew and then, let out a sigh. She was sitting in Zena's room, trying to find the words to convince the girl to come to St. Helene. Zena had dried her tears, but her stance was determined. Nan noted her gently bulging belly and firmed up her resolve.

"Do you know, Zena, what it means to carry a royal child?"

"I only know that it's my baby, Nan. Luke has no part in it," she said stubbornly.

"Saying that doesn't change the truth, darling, that the baby's father is the ruler of Zorbia. You have an heir to the throne there," Nan said.

Zena snorted. She would prefer to raise her child away from the evil and decadent society of St. Helene. The palace, with its machinations, according to her, was no place for a child. The village with its simple folks and uncomplicated lifestyle seemed a much better proposition.

"Do you wish to see my child grow up to be like him, Nan?" Zena questioned, her voice full of contempt. Luke had grown up in the palace, and see how he had turned out to be, full of hate and arrogance.

Nan conceded the truth of her words.

"It is all the more needed for you to be on hand, my child, to raise your baby. Let me tell you, Zena, that Luke will not hesitate to snatch away your child from you."

Zena was shocked.

"He can't do that!" she exclaimed, but she knew that he could do that and more. She had seen how he could go to any length to get his own way.

"Luke can do what he puts his mind to, my dear. You of all people should know that."

"Luke doesn't love me, Nan. How can I spend the rest of my life with him?" Zena asked, spreading her hands in a helpless gesture.

Nan placed her hand on hers, in comfort.

"I accept the truth of your words, dear, but we must think of the welfare of the child first. I did not wish to scare you or to make you anxious, but your life and that of your baby might be at risk," she told the girl with a solemn face.

"What! How is that possible, Nan?"

Nan thought for a moment, her brow marred with a frown.

"Lord Wilfred is out there, and he's up to no good. He's plotting against Zorbia and its ruler. No heir to the throne is safe from him."

"All the more reason then, to stay hidden here, isn't it?" Zena asked, her eyes wide in shock.

"I doubt that you could stay hidden for long. He can easily find you, just as Luke did. The child will be safe only at the palace, Zena," Nan stressed her words, trying to make her see the gravity of the circumstances.

Zena mulled over the words of the older woman, seeing the truth of the matter. Nothing could change the fact that she was carrying Luke's child. She knew how greedy and unscrupulous Lord Wilfred was. If he stood to gain from it, he wouldn't think twice before harming her or her baby.

Slowly, Zena found that there was no choice left before her but to agree to what Nan suggested. However much she might dislike Luke and his high-handedness, prudence dictated that she accept his offer, if only for the sake of her child. But the very thought of marrying him filled her with distaste. She would make sure to stay out of his way and ensure that he did not lay a finger on her.

Nan was looking at her expectantly, and Zena nodded, showing her silent acceptance.

Nan put her arms around her with a smile on her lips.

"Oh my child, you don't know how happy you have made me," she said, her own eyes swimming with tears.

They went out then to share the news with Victor and Jane. Jane was overjoyed to hear it, but Victor just smiled knowingly, as if some secret thought had pleased him.

"Such a short time and so many arrangements to make for the wedding," Jane said breathlessly, flushed with excitement. It wasn't every day that one's stepdaughter got married to the ruling monarch.

"No way, Jane. I want a simple ceremony," Zena protested.

"What a killjoy you are, girl," Jane teased her.

"We must make our way back now," Nan said, glancing at the darkness of the evening.

"You are going nowhere, Nan. Stay the night with us and start at dawn. The road is not safe at night. All kinds of strange wayfarers and highwaymen, as well as wild animals, are to be found on the way," Jane cautioned her guests.

Nan gracefully accepted the invitation to stay the night, and dinner was a happy affair. The next morning, she started for the palace. Before leaving, Nan hugged Zena.

"Rest assured, child, you will not regret your decision," she whispered in the girl's ears.

Zena nodded, her eyes still clouding with doubts and apprehensions.

The carriage rolled on the way to St. Helene. Nan leaned back in the seat, her mind preoccupied with the recent events.

"Isn't Zena the luckiest girl in the world, Nan?" Peggy started. "I envy her good fortune. Imagine, marrying the prince and becoming a princess," she said in wide-eyed wonder.

Nan nodded smilingly, but her heart was filled with concern for the girl. Luke was one of the most difficult men to live with, and Zena loved him, though she might not acknowledge it outright. Had she made a mistake in bringing about this marriage? She hoped not, or she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

Zena glanced around her room, placing the red blossoms in the glass jar. It wouldn't be her room for long. The palace, with its luxurious but oppressive surroundings, will never feel like home, as this humble house had done within such a short time. She would miss Jane who had become a good friend. What about her father? Would Luke accord him the respect due to his father-in-law? She had observed when he had last visited them, that though ready to accept that Victor wasn't a traitor, Luke had failed to apologize for the wrong he had done to the man. She knew that Luke hated her father for some wrong done to him long back, imagined or otherwise. Would that hate extend to her? She was sure that it would. What would she do then? How would she live with a man who hated her?